Marawi City — The first parliamentary elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao formally opened this week, drawing large crowds and heightened security as candidates began filing their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the Sept. 14 polls.
BARMM Commission on Elections Regional Director Rey Sumalipao said candidates for the region’s 32 district parliamentary seats have until May 7 to file their COCs.
Nine candidates from Serbisyong Inklusibo-Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP), led by Princess Pala Amera Lanto Gandamra, filed their candidacies before a packed crowd at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol.
Gandamra is the wife of Marawi Vice Mayor Majul Gandamra.
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Noticeably absent were candidates from the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Sumalipao said UBJP candidates are expected to file on the final day while awaiting a Comelec en banc ruling on the group’s accreditation as a political party.
The party is also facing a disqualification petition filed by Sahaludin Panambulan, who accused UBJP of violating the Omnibus Election Code over the alleged display of armed fighters during political assemblies.
Regional officials said security measures remain tight as the historic elections move forward.
The BARMM polls are being closely watched beyond the Bangsamoro region, particularly in Cagayan de Oro City and the Northern Mindanao corridor, which serve as major trade and transport gateways for Lanao del Sur.
Political stability in Marawi is expected to help secure trade routes, investment flows, and transport operations along the Iligan–Cagayan de Oro corridor.
Authorities said any major election-related violence or instability could disrupt commercial supply chains, affect public services, and trigger displacement that may impact nearby cities, including Cagayan de Oro.
